How to Polish Your Car’s Windshield

When it comes to cleaning your car’s windows, sometimes the traditional soap and water scrub just doesn’t bring out the sparkle you’re looking for. That’s why you should polish your windows every once in a while. Not only will it keep them sparkly and smooth, but polishing your car’s windows, the windshield especially, keeps them very clean. 

 

Polishing your windshield actually buffs out the pitting and small dents caused from driving that can make seeing while driving difficult, so it’s actually something important to do for your safety, not just for looks.

To see if you need to polish your car’s windshield, place your hands in a large plastic back and runs your hands across the windshield. If the glass feels gritty and bumpy, almost like sandpaper, you’ll know it’s time to polish the windows. 

For this project, you’ll glass polish specifically made for cars. You can find this in any multi-purpose store, or better yet, a hardware store. You can also find the other items you need there, which are a glass-polishing disc and a high-speed polisher. Lastly, you will need a microfiber cloth. 

Make sure your polishing disk is dry before applying any product to it. Once you’ve made sure it’s dry, place a quarter-sized amount of polish onto the polishing disc and set the speed of the polisher to 1,000 rpm. 

Work on half of the windshield at a time to make sure you don’t miss any spots. Move the polisher up and down the glass, being careful to get every corner and crevice. Once you’ve cleaned one side of the windshield, move around to the other side of the car and polish the rest.

Repeat this step two times. By repeating the process, you’re working the polish into the glass, which will make your windshield incredibly smooth and clear. 

Once the polish has been worked into the glass, use your microfiber cloth to wipe away any excess residue. Then, examine the windshield from the inside AND the outside to make sure the glass is polished. If it isn’t completed to your liking, repeat this process again. 

Once you’ve completed the outside of your windshield, repeat the entire process on the inside. While it may seem like a lot of work, polishing the windows of your car is an important process, and it’s one many people neglect. 

Why Glass Partitions Boosts Productivity in the Workplace

It’s no secret that when employees are happy in their workplace, they tend to be more productive in their jobs. That’s why companies are constantly looking for new ways to re-vamp their work space and create the ideal layout for optimal business. One of the best ways to do this is to create a semi-open floor plan while still maintaining personal privacy for employees. 

While there are a number of ways you could create this ideal floor plan, glass partitions are by far the best way to attain this goal, and for a number of reasons. 

Non-Claustrophobic Layout

Glass partitions are the perfect way to break up a workplace into individual work spaces without boxing employees into tiny areas. Often times, offices with lots of walls and private offices make workers feel as if they’re working in a stuffy, boxed in environment.  Glass creates a very different effect, establishing personal areas without a closed-in feeling. Even if you put glass partitions in every spot where regular walls once stood, the result will be one that employees will respond to. 

Better Lighting

Most people would agree that light has a direct effect on people’s emotions and moods. Even in small areas and tight spaces, studies show that workers are much happier if sunlight is able to steam through a nearby window. However, the only people who tend to benefit from these are, of course, people whose desks are near windows.

Glass partitioning opens up the office and allows sunlight to continue to stream throughout the work space without getting blocked or cut off by solid walls. More people will get to experience the shining sun and thus, tend to be happier and more productive. 

Not only does more sunlight lift people’s moods, but it will also save your company on lighting costs, as you won’t have to depend on electric lighting as much. 

Enhanced Communication

Already we’ve discussed that glass partitions allow people to feel more free and uplifted in their workspace, which in turn, makes them happier people. This, along with the fact that glass partitions give co-workers better access to each other, makes for better overall office communication. 

Giving co-workers the ability to see each other more during the work day is a great way to enhance communication between everyone in the office. They’ll be more likely to talk to each other and collaborate on ideas, which will no doubt increase productivity. Working on projects and presentations is much easier when a small piece of glass is your only barrier. It cuts down on walking aimlessly around the office, trying to find the person you’re looking for, and gives employees the ability to get information much faster from each other. 

Glass partitions also increase productivity because employers are more easily able to keep an eye on the office, making sure work is getting done. While employees may use walls and private offices as a way to get a little more privacy, there’s no question that everyone is more productive when they can be seen from all angles. 

With all the great reasons there are to get glass partitions in your company’s office, there’s no need to brainstorm any more. By making a simple change in the office with glass partitions, you can make a huge difference in your company’s productivity.  

The History Behind Santa Fe Glass

Santa Fe Glass was originally established in the early 1920s selling paint and glass. Carl Westerberg began his career and got his union initiation May 20, 1931 in Local 930 of Denver, Colorado Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators & Paperhangers of America. After working in the trade for 8 years, he and a partner Charles Adams decided to buy Santa Fe Glass from Luster Waggoner. On a cold December 30, 1939 morning in Evergreen, Colorado, Mr. Adams and Carl Westerberg agreed to purchase Santa Fe Glass from Mr. Waggoner for the total sum of $3,335.05 and upon placing a deposit of $60.00, they began their adventure of business ownership.

After 5 years in business together, Charles Adams decided to sell his shares of Santa Fe Glass to Carl Westerberg for a total of $2,000. On July 27, 1945, Carl Westerberg began his run at sole ownership and operation of Santa Fe Glass. The company, from its inception, was located at 262 S. Santa Fe Drive. This building made several changes and grew to fit the operation. Gary Westerberg, Carl’s son, began his career working for his father at the family business as a young man. Gary then officially started in the glass business at Harding Glass in Kansas City MO. Gary came to work full-time with his father at Santa Fe Glass in 1964.

Carl and Gary worked together operating the commercial and residential glass business until Carl’s failing health and subsequent death in 1975. Gary then took over as owner and ran the business. Through the years, Gary’s children worked in the family business, providing commercial and residential glass services, including custom glass, glass replacement, glass installation, and much more. Santa Fe Glass sponsored youth baseball in the Columbine area and even had a couple championship youth teams. In 1990, Gary’s oldest son Chris was tragically killed working on a ranch while enrolled in the Veterinary School at Colorado State University. In the next couple years with the recent family tragedy and mounting financial pressures, Gary made the decision to close Santa Fe Glass. Gary closed the doors in July 1993 after ensuring that all debts were paid and the company was left with a good name.

Craig started his career in public safety and Clint stayed in the glass business. After 14 years of Santa Fe Glass being closed, while on a trip to Ft. Collins to present the endowed Christopher Nels Westerberg Memorial Scholarship at Colorado State University, Craig and Clint made the decision to look into the possibility of re-opening Santa Fe Glass. Then in July of 2006, Craig and Clint Westerberg re-opened Santa Fe Glass with the same phone number that was established in the 1940s before the advent of 7 digit telephone dialing. (Spruce-4491) Now we can be reached at 303-777-4491. Our office, which is now our commercial and residential glass showroom, is located at an updated newer, larger facility just a few miles south of the old facility and a block off of Santa Fe on Quincy at 1920 W. Quincy Ave.

How to Use Custom Stained Glass in Your Home and Workplace

We’ve discussed a number of ways to use glass around your home and workplace, but today we’re sharing an idea that stands out just a little more than usual.

Stained glass is a beautiful alternative to using regular glass. No matter where you are using it, it can add a pop of color and texture in an area that could otherwise look bland and ordinary. The popularity of custom stained glass has grown over recent years, as it’s a unique and beautiful way to add some personality to a home. 

You can use stained glass in a number of ways around your home or office, and we’re here to tell you a few of our favorites.

Shower Doors

Using stained glass in your bathroom, your shower door specifically, is a popular and relatively inexpensive way to add some personality to your bedroom. You can choose matching colors in the bathroom, or go bold and pick an accent color to make the shower area the star of the space. Not only does it create a beautiful look for any bathroom, but there are actually two ways you can use stained glass when it comes to your shower door. 

First, you can add stained glass designs to your pre-existing glass shower doors. You can do this by attaching adhesive-free window film treatments, which can be found in hobby stores or online. You can also have stained glass be a part of your shower doors from the start, having colored glass swirled into the doors as they are made. Both provide an interesting look, as well as some added privacy!

Kitchen Backsplash

When it comes to the kitchen, granite is king. Homeowners prefer granite over almost anything these days. While granite is beautiful and provides a smooth and sophisticated look to a kitchen, stained glass can also do the same, yet is often forgotten.

A custom backsplash in your kitchen offers a number of perks that products like granite don’t. First of all, it’s less expensive. The worst part about remodeling is going over budget, but you don’t have to worry about that with glass touches. A stained glass backsplash can also be designed specifically to match your kitchen, unlike granite which is just cut from rock and comes as is. 

Stained Glass Dividers

Stained glass dividers are an excellent way to add privacy to a large workspace, especially if you work in an area with lots of desks in one big room. A little bit of privacy can help boost productivity in the workplace by minimizing distractions, but a stained glass divider won’t make you feel like you’re blocked off from the world. 

Not only are glass dividers functional on their own, but adding color and texture to a workspace can improve people’s moods. We know that we’d rather be surrounded by beautiful stained glass dividers than standard, grey ones. You can even get stained glass that incorporates the same colors your business uses, tying your brand right into the office. 

Basement Windows

Basement windows aren’t something we usually think about decorating, let alone think about at all. They’re typically visible on the side of your house and towards the ground, which isn’t exactly a spot you want to be putting a lot of money into. However, a stained glass window provides a pop of color to an unexpected place, and offers a few benefits you may not have thought of.

A glass window leading into a basement can often be a red flag for prying eyes. If you use stained glass on your basement windows, it can prevent a home invasion, or at least nosy neighbors from checking our your business!

Stained windows can also provide a natural cooling system for your basement by refracting heat.

With everything stained glass can do for you, we hope you consider it the next time you have glass installed in your home or workplace.

How to Cut Glass Mirrors

Mirrors are one of the best accent pieces to have in your house because they serve multiple purposes, both in a fashionable and a functional way. Aside from their obvious use, mirrors can be a beautiful way to decorate your home. They open spaces up, make rooms appear larger than they are, and can be an eye-catching piece of artwork on your wall. 

Sometimes, using mirrors as a decoration in your home requires some elbow grease, especially if you are diving into a DIY project. We can tell you the right way (and the safe way!) to cut mirrors for whatever you want to create, from large, sit-down tables to crafts with the kids.

Start with a large, clean work area. Because of any mess that may occur, you might want to take this project on in either your garage or backyard.

Lay your mirror on a flat surface like a work bench or table.

Before you start wielding your glass cutter, mark exactly where on the mirror you want to cut. This will make your project easier once you’ve started. That way, you’re cutting down (no pun intended) on the mistakes you’ll make with your design! Use a tape measurer and a dry-erase pen, as the marker will come off the mirror easily once you’re done. 

Align a straight edge along the marks that you made with the dry erase pen. This will ensure that the cuts you make with be as straight as possible and right where you want them.

Holding the straight edge firmly in one hand, take your glass cutter and press the cutting wheel to the mirror. Apply even, steady pressure and simply cut along the lines you marked with the dry erase marker. By doing this, you’ll create a small crack in the mirror.

One the initial cuts have been made, hold the mirror over the edge of the surface it’s resting on and gently tap along the cut line with the blunt end of your glass cutter. It should separate the mirror into two pieces safely and easily. Repeat until you have all the pieces of mirror that you want to use. 

If you want to refine the edges where the glass has been cut, use some fine sandpaper and rub the edges of the glass gently, just until it’s smooth.  

That’s all, folks!